Testing apparatus for determining nonalignment of vehicle wheels



May 8, 1923.

J. F. DUBY TESTING APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING NONALINEMENT OF VEHICLE WHEELS Filed Jan.

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Tm?? g1/37 2f mili same parts in all of the figures.

Fatented May 8, 1923.

JOHN F. DUBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 WEAVER MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, 0F SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TESTING APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING NONALIGNMENT OF- VEHICLE WHEELS.

Application led January 19, 1920. Serial No. 352,410.

To all whom z' may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN F. DUBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and. useful Improvements in Testing Apparatus for Determining Nonalignment of Vehicle Wheels. of which the following is a speciication.

This invention has for its object to provide an apparatus adapted to indicate the fact that a wheel on an automobile or other vehicle, is out of alinement, when thel wheel, while performing its vehicle-support-- ing function, is caused to move over a path or bed which may b'e the floor of a garage.

rlhe invention is embodied in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificatiomy Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a structure such as a garage equipped with a testing apparatus embodying the invention. v

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus showing the structure in horizontal section. f

Figure 3 is. a top plan view on a larger scale, showing the apparatus and portions of the structure.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an enlargement of a portion of Figure 4. l

Figure 8 is an enlargement of another portion of Figure 4.

The same -reference characters indicate the 12 represents la fixed base, which may be the main portion of the oor of a garage. Portions of the baseform fixed paths for the right and left wheels of a vehicle, such as an automobile. The dotted line 14, (Figure 2) may indicate the lmedian line of one of said paths. j

The continuity of the fixed portions of the path is interru ted by 'an opening 15, in which is a plat orm 16, forming a movable portion of said base. Said platform is yieldof deviation of the wheel from a position of true alinement. 1

Connected with, and operable by movements vof the platform, in an indicator or pointer 17 which is pivoted at 18 to a fixed support, and is movable overa graduated scale plate 19, said pointer indicating the direction and extent of any movement of the platform by a wheel acting thereon.

The platform is preferably supported by anti-frictional means permitting it to move freely in the directions indicated, and preferably embodied in track rails 21 on the botf' tom of a pan-shaped casing 22, and wheels 23 connected with the platform and adapted to runon said tracks. The casing 22 is preferably provided with a marginal outwardly projecting iiange 24e, bearing removably on a depressed seat 25, surrounding the opening 15. VThe casing and the platform 16 are formed to exclude dirt from the antifrictional supporting means, the casing be-` ing provided with an inwardly projecting. fiange 26, portions of which overlap end '.1

portions of the platform, as shown by Figures 5 and 7.

Any suitable means'may be provided for i vieldingly maintaining the platform in a central or predetermined position in the casing 22, and relatively to the path of a wheel. As here shown, two oppositely acting springs 27 and 28 are employed for this purpose. The spring 27 is attached tothe casing 22, and acts directly .on the platform.

as best shown by Figure 7. The spring 28 -is external to the casing 22, and is attached (Figure 5). I have here shown a pipe or tube line 32, asthe means for guiding the flexible connection 30.V l

It will now be seen that if a Wheel which is out of alinement, rolls on the platform 16, the rolling of the- Wheel will move the platform crosswise of the path of the Wheel in one direction or the other, one of the s rings 27 and 28 elongating, and the other co tracting, and the indicator 17 being moved in one direction or the other. The springs 27 and 28 are'both normall under tension, and act conjointly to normally `hold the platform in a predetermined position. If the Wheel rolling on the platform is in proper alinement, there will be no movement of the platform. 4 l

The steering Wheels of automobiles are usually intended 'tobe slightly out of alinement, and arranged lto toe in. to a slight' extent, that is to say, the vforward portions of said Wheels Aare intended to be slightly i nearer the longitudinall median line of the vehicle than the rear portions, when the axles are at vright angles with said line. ,The rearwheels should be in true alinement Without toeing in. To enable the apparatus to serve forboth front and vrear Wheels, I provide the scale 19 with a distinctive mark 19B, preferably red, so arranged that the pointer 17 will coincide with it when a steering 'Wheel which .toes in to exactly the desired extent is passing over the platform 16.

li'deviation of the pointer from the mark 19a indicates that the steering Wheel causing the deviation is improperly positioned. When.

the 'rear wheel acts on the platform, the mark 19a is disregarded, the condition of the Wheel being indicated by the position of the pointer relatively to the center of the scale. Iclaim: L' 1. A testing apparatus of the character Maasaastated, comprising a track-forming base adapted to support. and permit the movement of a Wheeled vehicle thereon, said base including a fixed portion, an opening, apanshaped casing in said opening having a depressed bottom, ,and a movable platform in said opening forming a base portion, which is movable by the rolling thereon of a wheel out-of alinement, the casing and platform being provided With anti-frictional means ,supporting the platform, and permitting horizontal movements thereof in opposite di rections, yielding means normally holding the platform in a predetermined position in said casing, and an indicator movable by l horizontal movements of the platform.

2. A testing apparatus of the character stated, comprising a track-forming base adapted to support and permit the movement of a Wheeled vehicle thereon, said base in'- cluding a fixed portion, an opening, a panshaped casing in said opening having a depressed bottom, and a movable platform in .said opening forming a base portion, which positioning means andmovable by horizontal .movements of the platform.

In 'testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

' JOHN F. DUBY.

: casing, and an indicator connected with said 

